I have heard several times, including in nursing school; that many nurses are products of broken homes, drug dependent/sickly parents, abuse etc. I have not been able to find true statistics online about this topic. I remember a nursing instructor listed a stat as high as 85% of nurses come from drug/sick/abusive homes and parents.
If you are willing to share your own personal story or also have a link to an article that shows data r/t this topic, I would be very interested.
I'll start by saying that growing up my Mom was and still is a very strong habitual marijuana user. Now I know some would argue that pot is not as bad as others or whatever. I'm not trying to start a discussion on that issue. But with my MOM, she had to smoke, all day long, every day. Wake up, smoke, eat, smoke, smoke before work, smoke before she went to bed, road trips etc. And if she wasn't " high" she was quite cranky. She also was abusive to me. Her and my Dad had a rocky relationship the last few years and she took it out on me. Verbally, emotionally, physically, spit in my face...etc. It caused my parents to have even more arguements, including physical, cause my Dad would stick up for me.
On to my father, he also was a substance user, cocaine, early on in the 80's, in fact he went to rehab shortly after I was born for some time. However, I don't recall him ever relapsing or such afterwards. He did however, have cardiac and renal disease (PKD), he had MVP repair and CABG when I was 7, and I remember, he had a very SLOW recovery, and just was always very sickly afterwards. He tried his best to help, try and coach me when I played basketball and in band, but he was physically limited. He ended up on dialysis for 5 years before having a MI at the age of 60.
My family situation made my grow up real fast, I had to help care for two younger siblings, who honestly did not have it like I did. By the time they were my age (teenager), our parents had divorced and did not live together. I would say it affected me the most. But, I do believe it has made me a stronger person and a better mother and nurse. In fact, when I get angry with my child, often I distinctly remember how my Mother would lash out at me, and I am able to recompose myself, something I am proud that I am able to do. Cause I remember how devastated I was when I was younger. Oh course, I do not abuse pot or any other drugs. Which I believe was part of my Mom's issue, along with stress from relantionship with my Dad.
Thank you for reading, I know it is a long post. I just wanted to share my story and I am interested in other's similiar stories. And again, if you have a article or link to such data, Please also post it.
